On day 2 of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Pieter Coetze stunned crowds when he took the gold medal for South Arica in the Men's 50m Backstroke Swimming, in the process beating a Games record. 

He followed up with another incredible display on day 3 in the 200m backstroke, where to he took home the gold as well as the Commonwealth Games record. The 22-year-old was ahead by more than a body-length at the halfway stage of the 200m, then the gap just got bigger, as he pulled away to finish a vast 2.22 seconds clear

Coetze broke the Men's 50m Backstroke record with a time of 24.18, beating out the former Games record set by England's Liam Tancock of 24.62 at Delhi 2010. Pieter Coetze is still shy of coming close to the current world record set by Kliment Kolesnikov of 23.55 at Kazan, Russia in 2023.

In the Men's 200m Backstroke, Pieter set a time of 1:54.22 - smashing the Games record set by England's James Goddard of 1:55:58 at Delhi 2010. Coetze remains under for the world record, currently held by American Aaron Peirsol at 1:51.92, held since the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome.

“We want to be like the Springboks,” Coetze said, referencing his nation's world champion men's rugby union side, as he laid out plans to raise the status of South African swimming.